Gluten-free Buckwheat Smoothie Bowl

Buckwheat isn’t on my regular food list for very long. I first tried it about a half year ago and this mainly in the cooked version. I would prepare it similar to oatmeal and got the idea to add it raw to my smoothies a couple of months ago. Since then I have worked on the perfect recipe, and the result is this gluten-free, vegan and extremely delicious buckwheat smoothie bowl.

Despite its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat, and is therefore gluten-free. This makes it a perfect alternative for people with gluten intolerance.

Nutrition

Buckwheat is mainly composed of complex carbs and fiber, which is beneficial for your digestion and for keeping a balanced blood sugar level.

The flax seeds deliver close to 2g of the short-chain omega-3 fatty acid ALA which is almost enough to cover your daily needs. Alternatively, or additionally, you can also use hemp seeds. Hemp seeds are not only a great source of ALA but are also high in protein.

The buckwheat itself, also provides high quality protein, due to a well-balanced amino-acid profile. All in all, the protein content of this smoothie bowl should be between 15 – 20g. The number is a little vague here, since I couldn’t find data on soaked buckwheat. The protein content should be somewhere between the dried and cooked version. If you have some better information, let me know in the comments!

Buckwheat is also high in antioxidants, and together with the berries, which are rich in antioxidants as well, this smoothie bowl is really a perfect meal to counter oxidative processes in your body.

Additionally,
this smoothie bowl is high in the minerals iron,
zinc, and magnesium.[1]

Mineral Absorption

Buckwheat is not classified as a ‘true’ grain, but rather a ‘pseudo-cereal’, and comes with less anti-nutrients usually associated with grains. Compared to most grains, such as oats for example, buckwheat is low in phytic acid and high in phytase.

Phytic acid is a common inhibitor of nutrient absorption, binding to minerals, making them unavailable for the body to absorb.

Phytase, on
the other hand, is an enzyme that breaks down the phytic acid, releasing the
minerals for absorption.[2]

Due to these characteristics, the absorption of minerals in buckwheat seems to be better compared to other grains.

Fill the dry buckwheat in a bowl and cover it well with water. Let it soak for a couple of hours. I usually prepare this the night before.

On the next morning, drain the buckwheat in a colander and wash several times with water.

Next, add all other ingredients together with the buckwheat to your blender.

Enjoy as a smoothie or smoothie bowl.

I usually eat this in the morning, as an alternative to my vegan overnight oats recipe. But with the good protein content, and the antioxidant qualities, you can eat this as a post-workout meal as well.

Calories

Carbs

Protein

Fats

770 kcal

165 g

20 g

11 g

I hope you liked this recipe, and that you can’t wait to try it out. Let me know in the comments, how you liked it and if you have any suggestions to make it even better.